He’s The Cool Cat With 9 Lives — the legendary race car driver who will turn 92 in two days. He’s the crusty, stubborn, wonderful man who come January will start his 77th year of racing. He’s the man who has survived a lifetime of scares. He’s the man whose motor is still running.

“I’m going back to the eye doctor today to get a new pair of glasses,” racing legend Red Farmer told me days ago as I visited him in his Shelby County home. “My doctor told me the stroke affected the nerves behind my eyes, Red said before adding, “Oh, and I can hear you better now that I turned up my hearing aid.”